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Sawyer County committee debates shoreland definitions, camping cabins and 'primitive rural hunting cabin' language
Summary
Committee members and residents debated how camping cabins and primitive rural hunting cabins should be classified under proposed ordinance changes, and the panel voted to remove language excluding "primitive rural hunting cabin" from the dwelling definition.
Members of the Sawyer County Planning and Zoning Committee on May 1 reviewed proposed red-line changes to shoreland and dwelling definitions after public comments from lakefront residents urged the panel to treat camping cabins more like standard dwellings for density, wastewater and utility planning.
The committee heard from Dana Cola, president of the SurveyPoint Lakes Forum, who told the committee that many of the newer camping cabins have utilities, concrete pads and overnight-occupancy patterns similar to small residences and said the committee should consider shoreline width and occupancy when setting density limits. Lynn Zomer, a resident of Edgewater, said state-level definitions and a recent Wisconsin Conservation Congress survey show concerns about shoreland density for seasonal campers and urged clearer per-unit wastewater estimates.
Committee members and county staff responded that the way camping cabins are currently defined in the draft ordinance separates them from dwellings for some regulatory purposes. Staff noted that under the draft the camping cabin remains a camping unit and not classified as a dwelling, meaning certain dwelling-specific requirements (square footage minimums, uniform dwelling code inspections) do not automatically apply.
After discussion, members voted to remove the sentence that read "dwelling and dwelling unit do not include a permanent rural hunting cabin" from the draft definitions. Committee members said the state statute language had caused confusion and could produce inconsistent results in county enforcement if left in place; removing that clause will leave the county free to treat particular structures according to the other definitions and standards in the ordinance.
The committee also discussed whether camping cabins that include utilities and year-round-capable systems should be treated as dwellings for shoreland density and wastewater planning. Staff and members said some of those questions will require additional, targeted drafting and likely legal review before the redlined ordinance is finalized.
The committee directed staff to incorporate the agreed wording and to circulate a new red-line (version 6) for review before legal review and subsequent public distribution.
Residents and committee members repeatedly raised concerns about shoreland density, impervious surface impact on water quality and the need for a clear approach to how small, seasonally occupied structures are treated in zoning and septic sizing. The meeting closed with the committee agreeing to further refine definitions and to send the updated red-line back for internal review before legal review.
